Gaëtane Verna, Director of The Power Plant, was presented with the insignia as a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
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The Ambassador of France to Canada Ms. Kareen Rispal presented her with the insignia on Thursday, January 25th 2018

The Cultural Service of the Embassy of France in Canada and The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery are thrilled to announce that The Power Plant’s Director, Gaëtane Verna, was presented with the insignia as a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) at a special bestowing ceremony taking place the evening of Thursday, 25 January 2018, just ahead of The Power Plant’s Winter 2018 Exhibition Season Opening.

Mrs. Kareen Rispal, Ambassador of France to Canada: “Through her responsibilities in leading cultural organisations, Gaëtane Verna has shared the work and insight of artists from all over the world. A Francophone and Francophile, she has developed partnerships with major French institutions, and programmed and produced large-scale exhibitions with renowned French artists. Mrs. Verna is a true advocate for arts awareness, a promoter of cultural openness and dialogue, and I am delighted to present her with the title of Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters.”

The Order of Arts and Letters was established in 1957 to recognize eminent artists and writers, as well as people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. It is aimed at building relationships and fostering cultural and linguistic exchange. To be considered for award, recipients must have “significantly contributed to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.”

Gaëtane Verna holds an International Diploma in Heritage Administration and Conservation from the Institut National du Patrimoine in Paris, France; received a DEA and a Master’s degree in Art History from the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne; and prior to that a Bachelor in Commerce from Concordia University.

Verna became Director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Canada’s leading non-collecting, public art gallery dedicated exclusively to contemporary visual art from Canada and the world, in 2012. Since then, Verna has guided the development of both the gallery’s administrative initiatives as well as curatorial and educational programs, continuing the gallery’s legacy and presence as a vital forum for the advanced artistic culture of our time. Previous to this she held positions as the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette in Lanaudière, Quebec (2006-12); curator of the Foreman Art Gallery at Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke (1998-2006) while also teaching in the Art History department of both Bishop’s University and the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Verna has been building steadily on The Power Plant’s ambitious exhibitions program with artists representing voices, practices and histories from around the globe. The program has grown to include numerous artists and cultural producers from the French art world including Yto Barrada, Ulla von Brandenburg, Latifa Echkahch, Zineb Sedira, this season’s artist Kader Attia, and more; resulting in a rich and sustained cultural exchange. The Power Plant has been honoured to work alongside the French Embassy and Consulate in Canada for many years, building strong bridges between the two countries and acting as key partners for the French Embassy’s Cultural Service. The Power Plant looks forward to continuing this dialogue.

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